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The humanitarian situation in
Gaza is dire, with innocent Palestinian families and children
desperate for basic necessities. That is why today,
the European Commission, Germany, Greece, Italy, the
Netherlands, the Republic of Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, the
United Kingdom, and the United States announce our intent to open a
maritime corridor to deliver much-needed additional amounts of
humanitarian assistance by sea.
Cyprus’ leadership in
establishing the Amalthea Initiative – which outlines a mechanism for
securely shipping aid from Cyprus to Gaza via sea – was integral to enabling
this joint effort to launch a maritime corridor. Together, our nations
intend to build on this model to deliver significant additional aid by sea,
working in coordination with UN Senior Humanitarian and
Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag, who is charged
with facilitating, coordinating, monitoring, and verifying the
flow of aid into Gaza under UN Security Council Resolution
2720. The dedicated efforts of the UAE to mobilise support for the
Initiative will result in the initial shipment of food by sea to
the people of Gaza.
Cyprus will soon convene senior
officials to discuss how we can accelerate this maritime channel
supporting those in need, supplementing land and air routes, including
from Egypt and Jordan. The United States announced an emergency
mission led by the U.S. military to establish a temporary pier in
Gaza, in coordination with humanitarian partners and other countries, to
enable the delivery of significant quantities of assistance by
sea. These efforts will be closely coordinated with the Government of
Israel.
The delivery of humanitarian
assistance directly to Gaza by sea will be complex, and our nations will
continue to assess and adjust our efforts to ensure we deliver aid as
effectively as possible. This maritime corridor can – and must – be part
of a sustained effort to increase the flow of humanitarian aid and
commercial commodities into Gaza through all possible routes. We
will continue to work with Israel to expand deliveries by land,
insisting that it facilitate more routes and open additional crossings
to get more aid to more people. We affirm that protecting civilian lives is a
key element of international humanitarian law that must be
respected. And together, we must all do more to ensure aid gets to
people who desperately need it.
(RM/NGian/IA)
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